The main objective of the reported study was to quantify the combined effects of water content and nutrient concentration, temperature and inoculum size on microbial growth and short term survival in partially-saturated porous media. Batch experiments were performed with monoculture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa incubated in small cryo-vials containing packings of partially-saturated media of quartz sand grains and microbial growth was quantified via protein assay. The characteristic growth parameters were determined by best-fitting the measured growth curves to a lag phase-logistic growth model. It was found that under the prescribed closed-system conditions of the batch experiments the maximum microbial population at the stationary stage was determined by mainly the amount of nutrients (product of water content and nutrient concentration) and for higher nutrient mass, also by the amount of available O₂. The growth rate increased with temperature, and had an optimum curve dependence on water-saturation degree. High solution concentrations also extended the initial lag period and impeded the specific growth rate. CLSM micrographs indicated that the bacteria attach to the sand grains in the form of discontinuous microcolonies. In addition to the incubation experiments we also preformed flow-through experiments, exploring the combined effects of water flux and nutrient concentration on the vertical distribution of bacterial growth in partially-saturated sand profiles under conditions of steady-state flow. It was found that under the prescribed steady-state water flow conditions the major factors controlling bacterial growth were nutrient concentration and oxygen supply rate. The bacterial growth increased with increasing nutrient concentration. It was maximal near the surface and decreased down the soil profile. Higher water fluxes impeded bacterial growth at both low and high nutrient concentration. In no flow conditions local nutrient diffusion rates were also limiting and maximal bacterial growth was observed at a certain depth. CSLM micrographs indicated that the bacteria attach to the sand grains in the form of discontinuous microcolonies.